'Mature and courageous U-turn'

Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi's surprise announcement that the controversial project to extend the underground museum of St John's Co-Cathedral should be scrapped, was greeted with joy by many of those who opposed the plans.

Leading environmental pressure group and a major critic of the project, Flimkien Għal Ambjent Aħjar, had decided to present MPs walking into Parliament with a petition signed by over 1,500 people.

Despite the announcement, tens of FAA members still handed their petition to MPs walking in for the debate, stressing that, while they were satisfied with the decision, there was still the opera house site to be discussed.

In fact, the petition also criticised the government's proposal to house Parliament at the former opera house site and made the case for a national theatre to be built instead.

"This is a U-turn which shows courage and maturity. And I hope it signals the beginning of a new and more mature era in politics which is less partisan and more focused on citizen participation," a victorious Astrid Vella, coordinator of FAA, said.

She said she hoped a similar decision would be taken on the opera house site. Ms Vella thanked all those who supported the FAA's petition, not least the politicians who spoke out against the project.

"Labour played a critical role in this issue. We were very impressed with Joseph Muscat and his keen and personal interest in this issue."

When asked what would happen to the €14 million EU funds, Ms Vella said that, according to research conducted by the FAA, the funds could be rerouted, although this would be a bureaucratic process.

"I am delighted for Malta and the world because St John's is not just a Maltese landmark but a world heritage treasure that has now been saved from the danger to which it had been posed."

Minutes after the joint statement by Dr Gonzi and the Archbishop, the St John's Foundation issued a terse reply saying it agreed with the decision to drop the project.

When contacted, foundation president Mgr Philip Calleja only said that the decision was reached after consultation and that he was "happy with the result".

When asked if he should resign after having spearheaded the project and defended it tooth and nail despite heavy criticism from almost everyone else, he said: "No, no".

As he was walking into Parliament, Dr Gonzi told the press he had consulted the Archbishop and they agreed to end the controversy.

"I would have preferred to go through the normal processes but I realised that, especially in the current economic climate, our country needed to focus on things that affect Maltese families and not have the population divided over this issue," Dr Gonzi said.

The project had drawn widespread criticism, even from government MPs Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando, Jesmond Mugliett and Ninu Zammit.

When contacted, Dr Pullicino Orlando said he welcomed the decision.

"I greet this development with satisfaction and peace of mind. I have been expressing my opposition and concern about this project since November and I therefore welcome the decision which has been taken," he said.

The decision was also welcomed by Alternattiva Demokratika.

"The St John's Cathedral Foundation should now identify an appropriate building in some other part of Malta and set up a museum entirely and solely dedicated to the 29 Goblin tapestries," it said.

cperegin@timesofmalta.com